Giannis Antekounmpo, a Greek forward, will attract some attention on draft day. (image via NBA.com)
Here we continue to examine the top prospects in the 2013 NBA Draft. Today we examine:
Giannis Antekounmpo, Greece, SF, 6’9”, 196 lbs
2012-13 International Stat Line: (stats courtesy DraftExpress.com)
7.9 points, 44% field goals, 34% 3-point field goals, 70.4% free throws, 5.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.5 turnovers
The Skinny:
Let the game of “How Do You Pronounce His Name” begin. Giannis Antekounmpo comes to us out of Greece. At only 18 years old, he’s a highly touted prospect for the 2013 NBA Draft. He’s still growing into his body and has some maturing to do, but Giannis is getting a lot of from NBA scouts with his abilities. Just to confuse things even more, he’s also known as Giannis Adetokoubo.
Strengths:
Giannis is a leaper, proving time and again to be a great dunker. His hands measure 26 inches wide and 26 inches long, allowing him to handle the ball with ease while either dribbling or soaring towards the rim for the finish.
His hands and leaping ability also make him an effective defender, one that can rattle the opponent easily. Giannis controls his body well and has good instincts when defending the ball, especially in the paint.
For being so young, Giannis is comfortable running through an offense or running the offense himself. He has a great ability to create offense for himself as well as for his teammates. Overall, he his a solid offensive weapon with some room for improvement. He continues to get better over time and with more gained experience.
Weaknesses:
With his young age and inexperience, there are a number of teams who will be scared off because of it. Some teams don’t want to take the gamble of youth and inexperience. Giannis has some growing up to do and his style of play reflects that. He’s a little loose on the floor. While that can be a benefit at times, most NBA scouts like to see a more aggressive, assertive approach. Loose players often times get themselves into trouble on the court and Giannis could be one of those players.
His perimeter shooting is also a little suspect. He put up some decent numbers this past season but his shooting form is raw. It’s almost as if Giannis decides to shoot the ball then decides halfway through, he no longer likes the shot but the shot goes up anyway. Sounds confusing, doesn’t it? It’s just an awkward looking shot. There’s plenty of room for improvement on this area of Giannis’ game.
Giannis is young. Whether a team finds that to be a strength or a weakness depends entirely upon that specific team. He’s a project no matter who selects him. It’s just a matter of whether a team wants to, or has the time to, deal with a project.
Potential Landing Spots:
Giannis is currently projected as a mid-to-late first round selection. He attended the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago this past week. Prior to participating in the workouts, it was reported on air that Giannis received a promise from a team, likely in the first round. Because of this, Giannis did not participate in the combine workouts. Which team made the promise is a mystery. However, a team that interviews with a player will often promise a player to draft them if they fall into that selection position. Teams do this so that player will not workout and outperform the potential draft spot they hope to land the player at. It’s clear Giannis is headed for a first round selection.
Teams That Make Sense:
Chicago Bulls: Considering the Bulls went on a very nice run in the NBA playoffs without Derrick Rose, Luol Deng and Kirk Hinrich, Chicago is in a very good place as a franchise. Depending on what the Bulls do in free agency, drafting Giannis and allowing him to develop over time could be very beneficial to his long term potential, especially practicing against numerous All-Star caliber players.
Indiana Pacers: Paul George took the Danny Granger injury and because a superstar. This makes Granger expendable in the trade market this summer. By moving Granger, a perennial All-Star, the Pacers are in prime position for their future. Brining in Giannis and allowing him to build himself into the player most NBA teams think he could become, the Pacers could be even more solid in the future.
Overall Synopsis:
Being young and talented has helped Giannis Antenkounmpo turns some heads as he heads towards the 2013 NBA Draft. His inexperience may come back to haunt him, but Giannis already has a promise. This could be huge for his stock, having other teams see that at least one team is willing to promise him a first round selection.